coal-fired plants
Newsletter
Credit: Denny Franzkowiak/Pixabay
China reduces coal plant approvals after a recent surge
China significantly reduced approvals for new coal-fired power plants in the first half of 2024 following a surge in previous years that raised concerns about its climate commitments.
In short:
- Greenpeace East Asia found that only 14 new coal plants were approved in China in early 2024, down 80% from the same period last year.
- China’s coal dependence persists, despite leading in solar and wind power, to manage peak electricity demand.
- Recent government initiatives focus on integrating renewable energy into the grid and retrofitting coal plants with low-carbon technologies.
Key quote:
“We may now be seeing a turning point.”
— Gao Yuhe, project lead for Greenpeace East Asia
Why this matters:
China's reduced coal plant approvals signal a potential shift in its energy strategy, but its continued reliance on coal complicates global efforts to combat climate change.
Read more: Coal plants grow despite global push for cleaner energy
Keep reading...Show less
Captive to coal: Indonesia to burn even more fossil fuel for green tech
Indonesia is on a spree of building coal-fired power plants for industry, which will keep the country addicted to the fossil fuel for the foreseeable future, regardless of its climate commitments, Hans Nicholas Jong reports for Mongabay.
In a nutshell:
Despite its global climate commitments, Indonesia is proceeding with plans to build coal power plants, particularly "captive" plants dedicated to industrial and commercial consumers, including those in the electric vehicle and battery supply chains. A recent report by the Global Energy Monitor reveals that Indonesia has 18.8 gigawatts of coal power under construction, exceeding most other countries apart from China and India. This surge in coal plants, largely driven by the demand for nickel and battery production, poses challenges to the nation's efforts to transition away from coal and align with emission reduction targets.
Key quote:
“So there’s more coal power, including captive, that will be built than the capacity that will be retired,” Rere Jambore Christanto, a mining and energy campaign manager at the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, said. “This will increase our emissions, even though we know that our emissions [from the energy sector] should peak in 2030.”
The big picture:
The construction of new coal-fired power plants has significant health and environmental implications. From a public health perspective, these plants emit harmful pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and premature deaths among nearby communities. The burning of coal releases greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change and its associated consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems. The extraction and transportation of coal can also cause habitat destruction, water pollution, and negative impacts on local biodiversity.
Read the article at Mongabay.
In the U.S., swapping out coal energy for solarwapping out coal energy for solar would prevent 52,000 premature deaths every year.
Keep reading...Show less
www.cleveland.com
EPA weakens Obama-era wastewater discharge regulations for coal-fired power plants
A statement from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said "newer, more affordable pollution control technologies and flexibility on the regulation’s phase-in will reduce pollution and save jobs at the same time.”
www.sbs.com.au
Major insurer Suncorp vows to stop covering thermal coal projects
The latest announcement means there are now no Australian insurers willing to underwrite new thermal coal projects, experts and advocates say.
www.reuters.com
India's capital chokes as pollution levels hit the worst this year
Pollution levels in New Delhi have hit their worst this year in the past two days - earning a "severe" to "emergency" rating and indicating conditions that can spark a public health crisis.
Top Story
www.nationalobserver.com
Canada's coal workers are anxious to find work in Trudeau's low-carbon future
Most climate policy experts say a low-carbon future that addresses climate change will necessarily mean fewer jobs in fossil fuels, and require what labour leaders describe as a "just transition" for displaced workers to find jobs in emerging industries.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
